The laptop chimed.

The decryption was complete.

A folder opened, revealing thousands of PDFs and bank statements.

My eyes scanned the first document.

It was a wire transfer receipt from a bank in Zurich.

The recipient’s name made my stomach turn.

It was a name I recognized from the morning news.

I closed the laptop and rubbed my eyes.

We had to drive through the night to reach the safe house in Portland.

The federal agents would be waiting there at dawn.

I put the SUV in gear and drove out of the yard.

The headlights cut through the heavy downpour.

The road was narrow and winding, surrounded by thick pine trees.

In the rearview mirror, the headlights of Marco’s van followed close behind.

The drive was long, and the silence inside the cabin was heavy.

I kept thinking about Lily and Owen.

They deserved a life without fear.

They deserved to grow up without looking over their shoulders.

I would give them that life, no matter the cost.

Two hours later, the rain began to taper off into a thick, gray fog.